University works with global partners to provide unique Masters programme in marine conservation

The MSc Marine Conservation will accept its first students in September 2019

The University of Plymouth is working with UK and international policy makers and NGOs to launch a Masters-level qualification addressing some of the biggest challenges facing our marine environment.

The new MSc
Marine Conservation, which will accept its first students in
September 2019, is the first of its kind to be delivered in conjunction with a
suite of regional, national and international practitioners.

It is also the only such programme where all students have
the opportunity to gain direct experience working within these potential
employers as part of their Masters projects.

The course complements the University’s reputation for
world-leading and award-winning research and teaching across the marine and
maritime sectors.

And its aim is to equip students with the skills to both
assess and manage the impact of human activity on our marine ecosystems, which
has become more evident and high profile in recent years.

Martin Attrill,
Professor of Marine Ecology in the School of
Biological and Marine Sciences and former Director of the Marine Institute, is
the programme’s coordinator, working closely with other academics across marine
biology, marine policy, marine ecology and conservation biology.

“The
focus on threats affecting the marine environment has never been greater,”
Professor Attrill said. “But there has
also never been a greater need for enhanced education about what is causing
those problems and how we can prevent them. This programme aims to directly
address those issues with the help of organisations working on the front line,
identifying ways to preserve and recover marine habitats and species
populations while allowing sustainable use of our seas.”

The course content will be based on state-of-the-art research
and current experience, but primarily focusing on marine conservation in
practice and how to maintain the health of marine ecosystems. Through
interaction with programme partners, the course will explore the barriers,
issues and solutions to the management of those ecosystems as well as wider
topics such as public engagement, behaviour change how marine conservation
charities are run.

For the final term of the one-year course, students will have
the chance to be based with an external partner, undertaking a project
developed over the previous two terms.

The course partners include Government and charity
organisations such as the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs,
the Marine Management Organisation, Marine Conservation Society, WWF, and the
UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre. There are also other partner
organisations involved in current university projects, such as: the Shark
Trust, the Ocean
Giants Trust, the Blue
Marine Foundation, and several Inshore Fisheries and Conservation
Authorities.

Professor Attrill added:

“This
course is the first of its kind to offer students the chance to learn about
marine conservation and at the same time work directly with those responsible
for it. That combination will provide students with the very latest knowledge
and appreciation of the challenges they might face both in the natural and
organisational environment, and provide the next generation of ocean guardians
with the skills our partners need.”

Our new MSc in Marine Conservation

This new programme, taught by leading experts in the field, focuses specifically on marine conservation in practice and is targeted at producing the next generation of ocean guardians with the skill set to address this question

Marine Institute

Representing 3000 staff, researchers and students, the University of Plymouth's Marine Institute is the first and largest such institute in the UK.

We provide the external portal to our extensive pool of world-leading experts and state-of-the-art facilities, enabling us to understand the relationship between the way we live, the seas that surround us and the development of sustainable policy solutions.